Happy Birthday Left Ear

February 2, 2014

1 year post-op Left Ear

It's hard to believe it's been 1 year since we started this ear reconstruction journey.   Samantha couldn't be happier and wanted to mark this milestone with a party for her ear!   Any excuse to have friends come over and eat some treats!  We invited over her close friends and had a fun play date.

Before and After - Pretty amazing!

Group pic of the girls, Sam's "Deaf friends" as we call them.  Two girls wear Cochlear Implants, 1 wears hearing aids and Sam with her Baha.  We met this wonderful group of friends through Sam's Auditory Oral school when the girls were all about 6 months old.  It's so amazing to see how far they've all come.  Sweet little girls!

Sam and her chocolate "ear".  Dr. Roberson so kindly gave us a few chocolate "ears" to share at the party.  I couldn't decide if they were creepy or fun.  The kids seemed to love them, so I guess it was ok!

Teddy Bear Tea

January 10, 2014

Today was the Teddy Bear Tea at Sam's school.  She chose to bring and share her bear that was given to her by Dr. Reinisch and the Small Wonders Foundation after her first ear surgery.  It was cute to hear her tell her class about the bear and where it came from. 

Right Ear Adjustment

12/23/2013

Right Ear Adjustment

I haven't blogged in a bit, so I'm going to play a little catch up, so please bare with me.   We ended 2013 with another ear surgery for Sam.  On 12/23/13, Dr. Reinisch did an adjustment on her right ear.  It was sitting a little lower than the left on and was projected out much further as well.  It didn't "settle" in as much as the left on, most likely due to the different bone structure on the right side of her face.  We were pretty happy with the left one so we asked him not to touch that one in surgery.  

Just as Dr. Reinisch said this surgery was pretty short compared to the others.  It only took about 2.5 hours.  No skin grafts were taken so the recovery was pretty minimal as well.  She also didn't have to wear a protective cup over it either.  Right away, we could notice a difference in the ear placement, so we were excited to see how it heals over the next few months. 

You can see that there is minimal swelling 2 days after surgery.  This will continue to get better over time.

3 month old right ear/ 8 month old left ear

October 1, 2013

3 months post-op right ear

8 months post-op left ear

Dr. Reinisch is still happy with the healing progress of the ears. 

Left ear - 8 months old

Right ear - 3 months old

8 week old ear

Tuesday September 3, 2013

8 weeks post-op Right ear

7 months post-op Left ear

Today we are 8 weeks post-op for the right ear and 7 months post-op for the left ear. Hopefully Dr. Reinisch will think the ears are still healing nicely! 

right ear

right ear

 

 

 

right ear

left ear

7 week old Right ear

Tuesday August 27, 2013

7 weeks post-op Right ear

We are 7 weeks out and we saw Dr. Reinisch in Palo Alto today.  We so fortunate to be able to see him in person so often.  Even though the appointments are 5 minutes long it makes me feel so much better for him to see her ears in person.  

Giving back

Sunday August 25, 2013

Today we had a garage sale.  Sam has been asking me for months to do a lemonade stand, so I told her that when we did the garage sale, she could set up a stand.  As the garage sale date approached, she came to me with an idea all on her own.  Instead of selling lemonade, she wanted to bake and sell cookies and give the money to the Small Wonders Foundation.   Small Wonders is a foundation established by Dr. Reinisch.  

Small Wonders Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial assistance, information, help and encouragement to families of children with congenital and acquired deformities of the face and body. Started in 2005 to support the work of world-class pediatric plastic surgeon Dr. John Reinisch, Small Wonders Foundation has so far changed the lives of children born with microtia/atresia and large facial birthmarks.

Children born with facial deformities or birthmarks are oftentimes the subject of teasing and ridicule and may have low self-esteem due to being treated differently. Sometimes it gets in the way of their learning or ability to make friends. Dr. Reinisch understands the emotional as well as the physical needs of his patients and their families. Small Wonders Foundation, working with Dr. Reinisch and the patients' families, seeks to provide these children with the opportunity to live full and happy lives.

We were so proud of her and understanding the importance of giving back.  We ended up giving her the earnings from the garage sale to add to her cookie sales.  She was able to send $250.00.

6 week old Right Ear

August 20, 2013

6 weeks post -op Right Ear

Here we are 6 weeks post-op and the ear is looking good.  Dr. Reinisch is happy with the healing thus far.  The ear still appears to be a bit more projected than the left side, so most likely Dr. R will do an adjustment in the Spring.  This can happen when doing both ears.  

6 month old ear (left ear)

August 1, 2013

6 months post-op (left ear)

I thought I'd post some pictures of Samantha's ear 6 months post-op.  It looks great! 

3 week Right Ear

Tuesday July 30, 2013

3 weeks post-op Right Ear

Today we saw Dr. Reinisch in Palo Alto at California Ear Institute.  We are so lucky that Dr. Reinisch is up our way at least once a month and he can check on Sam's ears in person!  

Here are some pictures of Sam's ear 3 weeks post-op.  Dr. Reinisch is pleased with the healing so far. 

In the picture, you can see some of the "dead" skin starting to scab and peel off.  Between week 2 and 3 (the week immediately following the dressing coming off), you are asked to just gently wash the ear with soap and water with your hands.  It's hard to get some of that "stuff" off with just your hands.  I was waiting for Dr. R to give the "ok" to start washing the ear gently with a cloth.  In the bath later that night, I was able to get most of that off.  

 

 

In this view, you can see how Sam's face is asymmetrical.  The right ear looks a little bigger, but we are still in the healing phase, so it will settle down in a few months.

In this shot, you can see that the skin graft taken from the back of her head is healing nicely and the hair is already growing back.

Big Ear #2

July 9, 2013

Big Ear #2 (right side)

I can't believe the time has come for Big Ear #2.  It has been 5 months since Sam had surgery for her first big ear.  Dr. Reinisch kept telling me that this time should be easier because I will know what to expect.  He was right that I knew what to expect, but I can't say it was any easier on me!  As for Sam, she handled it like a champ...even getting a piggy back ride on the Anesthesiologist back to the OR.  

Here is the last picture we took of her little right ear.  We always called it her "little heart" because that's what the little tab looked like to us.  

Family picture (minus Ella) as we head into the Surgery Center.  

My beautiful little girl.  Cool, calm and collected as she waited pre-op!

Surgery went well.  It was a little shorter than the first ear surgery, but still a very long day.  We were the first ones in the surgery center and the last to leave! 

17 week ear

May 31, 2013

17 weeks post-op

I've been putting on the RetinA cream for a couple weeks now.  I don't think I see any difference yet, but I really don't know what I'm looking for.  Dr. Reinisch said it would take a few weeks anyway.   The ear looks good to me! 

16 week ear

Friday May 24, 2013

16 weeks post-op

Wow, I can't believe it's been 16 weeks already.  Sam says her ear still feels sensitive to the touch when I am washing it, but Dr. Reinisch said that is very normal.  

15 week ear

Friday May 17, 2013

15 week post-op

This week we saw Dr. Reinisch in Palo Alto.  He was just checking on Sam's ear in person and wanted to give us some RetinA cream to use that will help to thicken the ear skin.  He says the ear looks great! 

14 week ear

Friday May 10, 2013

14 weeks post-op

This past week Dr. Reinisch was in Palo Alto.  Since I had found a suture in Sam's ear last week and was unable to get it out, we went to see him in person.  He got it out and was able to check on Sam's ear and see what Dr. Roberson had done to close the canal on the right side.  Here are some pics of the ear.  Sorry, not that great, but you get the idea!

13 week ear

Friday May 3, 2013

13 weeks post-op

We are 13 weeks post-op and Sam's ear is looking great!  

12 week Ear

Friday April 28, 2013

12 weeks post-op

I really can't believe it's been 12 weeks!  Sam's ear looks great.  In fact, she was at her Opthamology appoint at Stanford and her doctor who has followed her since she was 4 months old couldn't believe it.  She brought in a Resident to see Sam, like she always does and was shocked with amazement!   I know bilateral Microtia Atresia is not that common, so in a teaching facility such as Stanford University, doctors often like to "take a look".   Sam and I don't mind because we know they are learning and if we can help in any way, that's great!  Anyway,  I showed this young Resident before pictures and he couldn't believe it.  He said if we hadn't said anything to him, he wouldn't have guessed it was a reconstructed ear.  

11 week old ear

Friday April 19, 2013

11 weeks post-op

Samantha's ear is still healing nicely.  Thank goodness!  Now that she just had the canal closed on the right side, we are getting closer and closer to the end.  Here are some pictures of her 11 week old ear.